You booze, you lose during holidays -- experts' hangover tips

Stephanie Earls, Albany Times Union

Published
4:00 am PST, Sunday, December 25, 2005

Holiday hangovers -- who gets them and how bad they feel -- can defy even medical guesses.

"It's difficult to predict who's going to have a hangover and who's not," said Albert Jagoda, a doctor of emergency medicine at Saratoga (N.Y.) Hospital. "We've all had the experience where we go out and drink the same amount on two different occasions and one time we get a hangover and another time we don't. There are a lot of factors involved, that can include being somewhat dehydrated before you drink, or having an empty stomach, or if you're ill."

The only certain way to avoid the issue is, of course, to abstain.

As for treating the effects of overindulgence:

Carbonation: "The most classic one for people who are in denial of their hangover is Angostura bitters and ginger ale," said John "Wiz" Wisniewski, the bar manager at McGuire's in Albany, N.Y. "Carbonation and the bitters soothe the stomach."

Bloody Mary and beyond: "That's an interesting one, because people will drink that as almost a medicinal type drink, but it still does have alcohol in it," Wisniewski said. "I've heard of people putting a raw egg yolk in a drink, but it's sort of myth. "

The medicinal approach: "I'd take Tylenol or Advil," Jagoda said. "Things like Gatorade, with some electrolytes, might be better than water. A lot of people drink coffee or tea, but (that) may not be the best thing because they both have a diuretic effect and you need fluids."

Have a V-8: "Honestly, for me, it's a V-8 juice and Excedrin," said Nick Ferandino, a bartender at Justin's in Albany, N.Y. "I'm not one of the people that condones a hair-of-the-dog approach."

Carb up: "I think sugar is probably a good thing," said Peter Sosnow, an emergency medicine doctor at Albany (N.Y.) Memorial Hospital. "Carbohydrate intake helps to create a healthy balance in the liver, and food intake associated with water is probably also beneficial."